Jack Russell, one A founding member of the 1980s band Great White has died at the age of 63. In a social media post on Thursday, Russell's family announced that the glam metal singer passed away “peacefully” surrounded by his family and friends.
“Jack is loved and remembered for his sense of humor, his extraordinary passion for life, and his unwavering contribution to rock and roll music, where his legacy will live on forever,” the statement read. “His family asks for privacy at this time.”
Although Russell's cause of death has not been disclosed, the singer announced in July that he would stop touring after being diagnosed with Lewy body dementia and multiple system atrophy, a rare degenerative neurological disorder.
“I can't perform at the level I want to and the level you deserve,” Russell said at the time. “Words can't express my gratitude for the many years of memories, love and support.”
“Thank you for letting me live my dreams. You've made my life wonderful,” he concluded the letter in July. Over the summer, Russell released a memoir about his life with KL Doty, The True Story of Mista Pone: A Rock and Roll Story.
A public memorial ceremony is scheduled to be announced at a later date, according to the statement.
Russell was previously the lead singer of the rock band Great White, whose biggest hits were “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” (a cover of an Ian Hunter song) and “The Angel Song” in the late 1980s. He co-founded the band in 1982 with Mark Kendall, and released several albums, including the 1987 album once bit And 1989 Twice shy.
Kendall announced his cessation of work with the band in 2000, and Russell announced the end of the band in 2001 to pursue solo music, which failed to achieve success. Several years later, the musicians reunited under the name Jack Russell's Great White.
For some, Russell's name brings to mind the tragic Station nightclub fire in 2003, which killed 100 people and injured 230 others. The Great Whites were performing at the nightclub when a massive fire broke out after the band's tour manager set off pyrotechnics that ignited flammable acoustic foam at the back of the stage. The band's guitarist Ty Longley died in the fire.
In 2015, Russell announced that he would be making a documentary about the mass shooting. “It’s my life story intertwined with the story of the fire,” Russell said at the time. “It’s really hard, you know, but it’s going to give me a chance to apologize and express my feelings about it. I never had a chance to say, ‘I’m sorry.’”
Although Russell was not charged, he and Great White reached a $1 million settlement with the fire victims, part of a $176 million settlement fund. “That’s the legacy of that band,” said Victoria Potvin-Egan, a fan who survived the tragedy. Rolling Stone In 2013.
Kendall continued to tour with the band Great White with rotating singers. His version of the band made headlines for performing in July 2020 without social distancing or masks.
